Spiced Biscuits and Festive Fudge
Spiced biscuits
125g soft butter
100g soft brown sugar
125ml golden syrup
1 egg yolk
375g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon mixed spice
Set oven to 180°c and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
Beat the butter, sugar and syrup until pale and fluffy. Add the yolk to combine. Mix the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and spice together and mix with the butter mixture to a smooth dough.
Turn onto a floured surface and roll out thinly. Cut into shapes and place on the trays. Bake for about 12 minutes in the oven – swap the trays over half way to ensure even cooking.
Festive Fudge
1 x 397g tin condensed milk
450g light brown sugar
75ml milk
50ml orange juice
Zest 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon mixed spiced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Line a 20cm tin with parchment paper.
Place the condensed milk, sugar, milk and orange juice in a non-stick saucepan and place on a low heat. When the sugar has dissolved increase the heat to bubbling. Stir frequently and allow to boil for about 10 minutes. Be careful at this stage!
If you have a culinary probe it should read 115°c. If you don’t – take a glass of cold water and add a few drops of the hot mixture – if it forms a soft pliable ball remove from the heat. Mix in the zest, vanilla and spices and allow to cool for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to thicken – this will take 5 minutes so change arms frequently or share the load!
Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth over the top. Leave for a couple of hours at room temperature to set. Cut into squares.
